Here to Stay
by lil'nomdeplume
Summary: It's been months since Tony and Pepper broke up, and they haven't spoken since. He can't help but ask about her one day, when he calls to talk to Happy on a video chat. But the conversation abruptly changes course when Tony discovers why Pepper has been so cagey, as he sees for himself she's been a hiding a very BIG secret. Written in response to the leaked deleted Civil War scene.
1. Chapter 1

**After the craziness of recent news regarding our couple (don't know what I'm talking about? Google Marvel Cinematic Universe list of deleted scenes. THAT will bring you up to speed), I couldn't get what Marvel denied us off my mind. (Can you blame me?) So I just had to write this in response. I guess it's a way they could fix what they've done to our poor Pepperony, in my mind. It happens sometime just after Civil War, and toward the beginning of what I am hearing will be Spidey Homecoming, just to give you a timeframe.**

 **What's funny is, I started writing this fic to have a place to dump all of the angst I was feeling. But now? It's really more fluffy than anything. It's only going to be a couple of chapters. (God KNOWS I've got enough writing to do on my other fics.) But I just couldn't resist writing and uploading this (it's rated M for future smut, fair warning). I hope you like it. I'd love to hear from you. And may I say? Long live Pepperony, and may true love conquer ALL.**

 **Happy Reading.**

"Yeah, see what you can dig up for me, huh, Hap?" Tony told his head of security. He'd called Happy to help him get some background information on the man allegedly calling himself "The Shocker", and they were just wrapping up their video chat conversation.

"Sure thing, boss," Happy replied.

The two men nodded at each other in acknowledgment. And then Tony took a deep breath. _On to other pressing matters,_ he thought glumly.

"So," he said.

Happy smiled awkwardly, knowing what was probably coming next. " _So,_ " he replied back.

"Uh, h-how's, uh, how's...Pep-Pepper?" Tony stammered. "Is she...is she doing... _okay?"_ he asked, trying his hardest to keep his tone purely curious and casual.

The polite smile Happy wore morphed into a look of hurt and pity for his long time friend and employer. "She's... _fine,_ boss. She's good," he said softly, hoping the discussion would end with that.

Tony nodded and leaned forward in his chair, his expression one of concern. "Does she ever..." he began slowly.

 _Oh, no. Here it comes,_ Happy thought.

" _Ask..._ about me?" Tony asked.

Happy clapped a hand to the back of his neck and averted his eyes from his boss's gaze. "Uh...you know? I can't remember the last time she..." he said.

But Tony could see through the mirage. " _Ha-ppy,_ " he warned.

Happy stopped talking and raised his eyes back to Tony's, knowing he'd been made. "Look, boss. I don't feel like it's really _my_ place to..." he stopped talking, as Tony was now frowning in disapproval. "What I _mean_ is," he began again. "C-can't you just call her office? You wanna know what she's up to so bad, just..."

"That's the _problem,_ Hap. She won't return any of my calls herself. She makes her assistant do it," Tony replied. Happy saw him sit back against his chair, and sigh in defeat. "Amanda, or whatever."

Happy frowned. "Her name is _Julie_ ," he corrected.

" _Whatever_ ," Tony said flatly, keeping his eyes from the camera.

Happy just watched Tony for a moment in silence. He was truly sorry to see him in this shape. It was clear he missed Pepper. _Deeply._ It had been months since they'd split, and watching Tony hurt for this long was hard enough to take. But there was also the secret he'd been sworn by Pepper to keep from him that made all of this so much worse. And he knew it was only a matter of time before they would bump into each other, and she'd be exposed. And he'd look like a betrayer to one of his oldest and dearest friends.

Just then, Happy's office door opened behind him, and he swiveled around, instantly freezing in shock to see Pepper had entered. "Happy, I was wondering if... _oh,"_ she said, unaware at first, and then _painfully_ aware, of what he was currently doing.

She froze as well, glued to the spot she'd stepped to just inside the door, her eyes fixed on Happy's computer screen. And _speechless._

Tony immediately sat forward, his eyes wide with alarm as they scanned her. " _Pepper?_ " he gasped. His chest began to heave, and he focused his gaze on her middle. Her _protruding_ middle.

"Tony, I..." she began.

"You're..." he spluttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't _believe_ this. You're..." He flicked his eyes up to hers. " _When,_ Pep?" he asked weakly, his voice soft and wounded. "When were you going to _tell_ me?"

Pepper didn't answer immediately. She just kept her eyes on Tony's, searching for the right response. "Happy? Can you excuse..." she started to say.

But Happy didn't need to hear anymore. He abruptly got up, and bolted for the door, swiftly leaving the room and closing the door behind him, without a word. Pepper slowly lowered herself down into Happy's desk chair, and settled in, squaring her shoulders and once again looking at Tony, this time with more self-assurance.

Tony just shook his head, his eyes filled with hurt. "How could you... _not..._ I mean, didn't you... _want_ me to..." he stammered.

"Tony, _listen_ to me," Pepper urged, her voice hoarse with impending emotion. He stopped talking and just looked at her expectantly, waiting for her explanation. She began again. "I understand this must be...quite a...a _shock,"_ she started to say, struggling to find the words.

But Tony scoffed bitterly, interrupting her. "A _shock?_ Yeah, Pep. You could say that. My ex-girlfriend suddenly makes an appearance after months of being incommunicado, and _guess_ what? She's got a _surprise._ But it's not for _me_ to know about. Oh, _no._ It's for everybody _else_ in the world to know about. But not _me._ Nope. Not the person who's so _clearly_ the _father_ of the child with which she's _pregnant!_ " he spat.

"Tony, I _know_ this is hard," Pepper said, trying again to reassure him. "And _believe_ me. I _wanted_ to tell you. A thousand times, in fact. But..." her voice cut out, betraying her bravado, and her shoulders began to shake as she lost control of her composure, and started to sob.

Tony frowned, and then softened, watching her for a moment before he spoke. "Come on, Pep," he murmured. "Come on, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry."

Pepper raised her eyes to his, and they shared a quiet moment, as she dried her tears. Despite himself, Tony gave her a soft, sympathetic look.

"I'm _sorry,"_ Pepper began. She shook her head. "These last few months have been just... _ridiculously_ stressful."

" _Tell_ me about it," Tony muttered softly.

Pepper smiled softly in approval of his agreement. She continued. "And I was afraid that... _this..._ " she said, gesturing to her baby bump. "Would just compound the pressure. What with the Avengers being so scattered the way they are, and you trying to pick up the pieces, and reorganize what's left..."

"But you should have _told_ me, Pepper," Tony interjected gently, but his tone laden with disappointment.

Pepper stopped talking, and just nodded, as new tears formed in her eyes. "Yes," she said simply. "I should have. And I'm sorry."

Tony just gazed at her for a moment in silence. And then nodded in acceptance of her apology. _What's done is done,_ he thought resolutely. Then he smiled softly at her.

" _So,_ " he said, leaning forward in his seat. Pepper leaned closer in,too, and smiled back.

"So," she said, her voice hopeful. They both chuckled awkwardly. Then she sat back again, and rested a hand on the top of her belly.

Tony watched her do this, and then shook his head, this time in amazement. "You look..." he started to say. He flicked his eyes back up to hers. " _Beautiful,_ " he finished.

Pepper smiled bashfully, and averted her eyes from his for a moment before returning them back. "Thank you," she said. "I don't _feel_ beautiful, though. I can tell you that. Actually, I feel _huge. That's_ the word _I_ would use, anyway."

Tony chuckled at her joke. "Well, then your hugeness is _beautiful._ There. Better?" he teased back.

They both laughed. And then his expression became very thoughtful. "Pepper," he said. "I know we can't go back and fix what went wrong with us, but..." He paused, swallowing hard as a lump was forming in his throat. "I'd like to _try..._ to fix things, I mean. Going _forward,"_ he told her, his voice soft and pleading.

Pepper's chin began to quiver, and she brought a hand to her mouth to try to hide it. But her cover was blown as new tears began to fall, and all she could do was nod in the affirmative. "I'd like that," she murmured after a moment. She chuckled sheepishly, and Tony grinned. He nodded too.

"Good," he said simply. "And we can start by you telling me all about..." he nodded toward her stomach. " _Mini-Stark_ , there," he joked. They both chuckled, and Pepper ran an affectionate hand over her belly.

"How are you feeling? _What_ are you feeling? Can you feel him move, yet?" Tony asked inquisitively. Then his eyes went wide. " _Is_ it even a _he?"_ he asked eagerly. Then he flashed her his trademark smirk. "Tell me what we're working with, here, Potts," he joked.

"You mean, what are we _having?_ " she asked knowingly.

Tony nodded, looking at her very intently.

" _Well,_ " Pepper said, with a sly grin. She drummed her fingers on her stomach for a moment, before answering. "We're having a _boy..."_

Tony clapped his hands sharply, and hooted excitedly. " _Yes!_ I _knew_ it!" he cried.

" _And,_ " Pepper continued, and Tony froze, raising his widening eyes to her.

" _And?"_ he parroted numbly.

"A _girl,_ " Pepper finished. She bit her lips together to keep from grinning at Tony's flabbergasted expression.

" _No,_ " he gasped in disbelief.

" _Yes_ ," she answered back, with a knowing smirk.

He just looked at her stomach, and then back to her eyes again. He continued flicking them back and forth for a few moments, rendered speechless.

"Tony, _say_ something," Pepper urged, as she started to get worried he'd gone into shock. "Are you _happy?"_

He slowly melted, giving her a delighted smile. "Oh, _baby,"_ he cooed to her affectionately, and shaking his head. "I'm...I'm...I don't even _know_ what," he said. He grinned even more. "But _happy's_ a good place to start, yes."

Pepper giggled in relief at his response.

" _Twins_ ," Tony murmured in amazement. "We're pregnant with _twins."_

" _Yes,_ we _are,_ " Pepper cooed lovingly back.

"So, that answers my next question," Tony said.

"And that is?" Pepper asked, looking at him quizically.

"Why you're as big as a house at only five months," he quipped in reply.

Pepper just laughed out loud, enjoying him teasing her, and basking in the sense of relief that she felt at him being in her presence again to do it.

XxXxXxXxXx

Early that next morning, Pepper stood on the tarmac at Stark Aviation, anxiously awaiting a jet that was due for arrival which was carrying her ex-boyfriend. _Is that even accurate now?,_ she suddenly wondered, as she and Tony had agreed they both wanted to start again, to try to move forward as a couple. As a _family._

 _No,_ she decided. _It most certainly is NOT. He's back in my life for good this time. AND he's the father of my children, for that matter. He at least deserves the title of 'boyfriend', for lack of a better term at the moment._

The thought made her smile, but did little to tamp down the fluttery butterflies in her stomach. The babies must have sensed her nervousness, too, she was convinced, as it felt like they were far more active this morning than usual. She put her hand over a spot where she felt another hard kick at that instance, and rubbed it affectionately. "I _know,_ " she cooed sweetly, looking down at her stomach. "I'm excited to see him, _too."_

Just then, Tony's plane came into view, and Pepper gasped excitedly. She was practically vibrating with anxious energy as she watched it land in the distance, and come closer as it rolled down the runway and up to the tarmac. The loud burst of sound from the engines as the plane slowed and pulled to its resting place _did_ hurt her ears. But she was oblivious to it save fore a small wince, as all she could do was look on, counting the seconds until Tony would appear. _Another_ time when she was anxious to see him get off a plane, and be standing in front of her, alive and well, came to mind, and it made her smile. _My, how true it is,_ she thought. _That the more things change, the more they stay the same._

The process of shutting down the plane, the stairs being rolled to the exit, the door being slowly opened, and the flight crew securing everything for Tony's departure seemed to take an eternity in her mind. And then all at once, he was _there,_ standing at the top of the stairs, and looking around to locate where she was.

As soon as he laid eyes on her, he flashed her his familiar grin, and Pepper couldn't help herself. She bolted from where she stood, and Tony ran down the stairs to meet her. She ran straight into his arms, smashing into him, and he instantly enveloped her in his embrace, grunting and moaning in euphoric relief, lifting her off the ground affectionately.

Just as quickly, he set her back down, and Pepper instantly, and very _eagerly,_ kissed him, cupping his face in her hands. Tony's eyebrows shot up in surprise at her fervor, but then he kissed her just as eagerly in return. Soon, however, they were interrupted, as Tony felt a _tap-tap-tap_ on his stomach.

"Oh, _whoa,_ what the hell was that?!" he exclaimed, quickly breaking the kiss and jumping back, looking questioningly at Pepper's stomach.

She smirked knowingly, and rested a hand on her belly. " _That_ was a baby kick," she informed him.

Tony's eyes went wide. "Really?" he gasped, relaxing and stepping close to her again. He rested his hands on the sides of her belly. "Really? That was... _them?"_ he asked.

Pepper giggled and nodded. "They've been _really_ active this morning," she explained.

"Oh, _wow._ That's," Tony murmured in amazement, trying to find his next words. _"Awesome,"_ he finally gushed. _"_ Tell them to do it again!" he urged excitedly.

Pepper laughed again, and shook her head. "That's not really how it works," she told him.

But he wasn't listening. He just stood there, in silence, totally enthralled. After a few moments, another _tap-tap-tapping_ came along, and he gasped with delight. "Whoa! There we go! Did you feel _that?!"_ he cried.

Pepper chuckled at his wonderment, and put her hands over his. " _Yes,_ Tony. I felt that," she teased.

"And this happens all the _time?!"_ he asked her.

"All the _time,_ " she answered with a warm smile.

 _"Wow,"_ Tony murmured, sinking down to his knees to be eye-level with Pepper's stomach. "Hey. Hey, in there, uh, _guys_? I...I'm your...your," he stammered. He swallowed hard. "Your _dad,"_ he finished, his voice deliberate.

He glanced up at Pepper, who was struggling to hold back tears. She nodded, and smiled at him in approval. And he smiled lovingly back. The babies kicked again in response. Tony took his eyes from Pepper's face, and flicked them back to her stomach, chuckling.

"Nice to meet you, _too,_ " he cooed happily.

A soft sob escaped from Pepper's throat, and she brought her fingertips to her lips to quiet herself. Tony ran his hands over her stomach, and then went in to plant a soft, lingering kiss in the center before he rested the side of his head on her belly, and closed his eyes. Pepper began running her fingers through his hair, loving the sweet moment he was getting to have with their children. _A moment long overdue,_ she told herself. She secretly admonished herself for keeping it from him all this time.

After a while, Tony turned to give her stomach another kiss, and then he slowly raised back up to stand, wrapping her in his arms, and resting his forehead against hers. Pepper noticed a couple of tears escape from his eyes and roll down his cheeks, and she quickly cupped his face in her hands, swiping them away with the pads of her thumbs.

He shifted his eyes to hers, and gave her a sheepish grin. " _God,_ you don't know how much I needed this, Pep," he admitted to her.

" _Actually,_ I _do,_ " she replied.

Tony raised his head and looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Pepper brought her hands to his chest, and fiddled with the buttons of his shirt for a moment before she answered. "I _mean_ that I _know_ what you've been through, Tony. What you _went_ through. With _Steve,_ and with all of the..."

"You heard about all of that, huh?" he asked, frowning at what she might have thought about the situation, and all of its violence.

Pepper nodded, and pursed her lips. "And I want you to know just how _sorry_ I am," she told him.

Tony cocked his head in confusion. "How sorry _you_ are? Baby, _I'm_ the one who..."

"No," Pepper argued. "You having to face all of that _alone?_ It wasn't _right._ No matter _what_ the circumstances. I _never_ should have..." she said, but her voice trailed off as new tears began to well up.

Tony quickly pulled her into a hug. "Hey. Don't do this, okay?" he murmured to her. " _None_ of what happened was your battle to fight, alright? _None_ of it. _I_ needed to get to the bottom of things. _I_ needed to...well, Steve and I, we _both_ needed to..."

"I should have been there," Pepper reiterated, pulling back to look into his eyes. " _Especially_ because of what you found out about your parents."

Tony raised his hands to grasp hers at his chest reassuringly. "Pepper, _listen_ to me," he said, looking deeply into her eyes. "It's been dealt with. Okay? And _now_ ," he said, leaving her hands at his chest to move his own to her stomach. "We get to move _on_. _Together._ Right?" he said, the corners of his mouth quirking upward in a knowing smile.

Pepper smiled lovingly back, putting her hands over his on each side of her baby bump. " _Right,_ " she agreed.

Just then, they felt some more hard kicks, and they both chuckled. "I think they like this idea," Pepper said.

Tony chuckled, and grinned. " _Good,_ " he replied. "Because I plan on sticking around."

Pepper smiled. "I think _I_ like this idea, too," she cooed.

Tony cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah?" he asked.

She nodded. " _Yes,_ " she said, smiling at him lovingly.

Tony bent to kiss her lips again, and they both moaned again, reveling in how good it felt to be in each others arms.

When the kiss broke, Tony sighed heavily. _"Mmmm. Missed_ that," he murmured under his breath.

Pepper bit her lip coyly, and nodded. "Me, _too,_ " she murmured back. She toyed with the buttons on his shirt again, and gave him a wanton smile. "Forgive me for being so forward, but..." she said. "There's something _else_ of yours I've missed, as _well_ ," she purred.

Tony looked at her in surprise, and then gave her a smirk. "Oh?" he said. "Are you saying you're in need of my..." he paused to make one-fingered air quotes. _"Services,_ Ms. Potts? _"_ he purred back.

"God, _yes,"_ she revealed. "The libido of a pregnant woman is _nothing_ to keep on ice. Let me _tell you,"_ she said, rolling her eyes in astonishment.

Tony chuckled mischievously at her revelation to him. "Oh, do _tell,_ Pep. I am _all_ ears on how you've managed to maintain for this long," he teased.

Pepper clucked her tongue, and chuckled. "Get me home _first,_ and I just might _show_ you," she purred back.

At her words, Tony instantly snapped his head around to talk to the driver of her town car. "The bags, my good man! Load 'em up on the double! We've gotta get home! Pronto!" he barked urgently. The man nodded in the affirmative, and stepped up his pace on loading the trunk.

Pepper giggled. "Somehow I _knew_ that might get you to pick up the pace," she joked.

"Yeah, well," Tony replied. "You're not the _only_ one who's a little starved for affection, Pep."

Pepper giggled again, and they made their way to the car, Tony keeping a hold of her hand as they got into the back seat. He held it all the way back to their house, as well, using the other one to feel every movement of their unborn children as they rode. And enjoying every _minute_ of it, to boot.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I'd say it's time for a little fluffy smut, wouldn't you? These two deserve it. (As do we, I'd like to point out, NO thanks to Marvel.) ;)**_

 _ **Be of legal age, or be gone! All others? Happy reading.**_

The second Tony and Pepper entered their house, Tony immediately went in for an eager, and very _aroused_ kiss, backing Pepper against the wall, and thrusting against her as he did it, gripping the back of one of her legs and hastily wrapping it around his waist. Pepper let out a delighted little _squeak_ at his actions, and subsequently, they began making out with reckless, and hungry, abandon. It was like the only oxygen left in the world was being held in their own lungs, and sharing their breath was a matter of survival. Of course, given the chance, either one of them would've argued at that moment that what they were currently doing _was,_ in fact,a matter of survival.

"Oh my God... _want_ you... _fuck,_ you're _so_ hot," Tony rumbled in her ear with smokey desire.

"Yes. Oh _God,_ Tony. Yes," Pepper replied back in wanton need.

Eventually, they moved from the wall, and gradually managed to make it through the foyer and into the living room where Tony promptly backed them to the couch, and then collapsed onto it. Pepper climbed on after him and knelt over his lap, immediately fumbling with the rest of the buttons on his shirt, as he continued to devour her mouth with his own.

But suddenly he had become distracted. "Wait, Pep. Hold up a second," he said, in between their eager kisses.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" she mumbled back, clearly not enthused about halting their momentum.

Tony pulled back to give her an awkward look. "How do we... _do_ this exactly?" he asked.

Pepper looked at him in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?" she asked breathlessly, pushing her bangs out of her eyes and off her damp forehead to look at him, her chest heaving.

"I _mean,_ I've never..." Tony stammered.

Pepper gave him a blank stare. "You've _never_ ," she urged expectantly, when he didn't immediately answer.

Tony rolled his eyes, and scrubbed a hand over his goatee. "Oh, come _on,_ Pep. You _know_ what I'm trying to say, here," he goaded, motioning toward her middle.

Pepper cocked her head, and folded her arms. " _Honestly_ , Tony?" she huffed in exasperation.

"Okay," Tony said. "I know this isn't exactly a _shock_ to you, but..." he began. He gave her a pained look. "I've never...had _sex_ with...a... _pregnant_ woman before, and..."

Pepper started chuckling, to which Tony threw up his hands. "Annnnnnd, that's funny to you, for some reason," he pouted.

"Oh-ho-ho," Pepper said, giving him sympathetic puppy dog eyes, and reaching for him. He reluctantly let her pull him back to her, and she bent down to place a soft, very chaste kiss on his lips. He kissed her back half-heartedly, then just looked at her, still a little hurt at her laughing at him.

"No, Tony," Pepper cooed. "I think it's _sweet."_

He frowned at her, not comprehending. " _What's_ sweet?" he asked.

"Your _concern,_ " she said. "You're worried you might do something _wrong,_ correct?"

"Well, isn't _that_ something to be concerned _about?_ " he countered. He raised his hands in surrender to his sides. "Look, honey. You _know_ I like how wild we can get when we get down. I just...I'm not _sure_ we should... _do_ everything we _used_ to do _._ You know what I mean?" he asked hopefully.

Pepper shrugged. "We might have to make _some_ adjustments, yes," she agreed. "But I don't see why we'd need to _hold back_."

"But what if I... _do_ something? And _hurt_ you? Or, worse yet, the _babies?"_ he explained.

"Tony, I'm _pregnant._ Not made of glass. It'll be fine. I promise," she assured. "Besides," she said, patting her belly. "They have a pretty cushy living space at the moment. Very _well_ protected."

Tony gave her a skeptical look, but then relented. "Okay, if you say so," he replied. "But if anything gets uncomfortable, even a little bit, you tell me, okay?"

Pepper held up two fingers. "Scout's honor," she said.

Tony nodded, and went back to kissing her, but soon began to hesitate again. Pepper pulled back, and he gave her an awkward wince. "Alright," she said, shifting off of the couch to stand in front of him. "You aren't going to be able to do this unless we do something different, are you?" she asked.

Tony inhaled sharply through his teeth. "Yeah, I just..." he began. Then he exhaled in defeat. " _N_ _o._ I'm _not,_ Pep," he finally admitted.

Pepper gave him a wry smile. "Okay, then, _mister,_ " she said, holding out her hand to him. "You follow _me. I_ know how to fix you up."

Tony grasped her hand, and stood up off the couch. She began leading him to the stairs, and up toward their bedroom.

"Huh," Tony clucked. "The _bedroom._ What a _novel_ idea. Why didn't _I_ think of that?" he teased.

"Could it _be_ because you're horny, and your brain is currently experiencing a lack of blood flow?" she teased back.

"I _knew_ there was a reasonable explanation. That's _gotta_ be it," Tony purred, smirking.

Once they reached the bedroom, Pepper spun around and wrapped her arms around Tony's neck. " _Now,_ then," she cooed. "Where _were_ we?"

Tony moaned in approval and pumped his eyebrows suggestively before soundly kissing her again, and simultaneously backed them toward the edge of the bed. Once they got there, Pepper scooted backward toward the center of the mattress on her knees, and Tony followed. He ran his hands up and down her body, finishing at her mouth before moving his lips to her neck again, instantly making goosebumps appear all over her skin. He heard her moan happily, and he smiled to himself, glad to know he still knew how to turn her on.

Pepper resumed unbuttoning his shirt, and Tony went to work on the zipper on the back of her dress. Soon, he was ready to pull it off of her, and she obliged by slipping her arms out of the sleeves, and unhooking her bra. He pushed it and the dress down her body, and then gasped- making a half-gasping, half-whimpering sound. Pepper frowned and looked down at her exposed body, then back to his eyes questioningly. And with a little trepidation, unsure of what his reaction to her appearance meant.

But soon he just smiled, and then shifted his eyes back up to hers. _"_ _Look_ at you," he murmured, as if in awe.

Pepper blushed, and averted her eyes for a moment before bringing them back to his. "What _about_ it?" she murmured bashfully back.

Tony fell silent, and began smoothing his hands over her breasts, and her very round baby bump. "Your _body._ It's..." he murmured again. He shook his head in disbelief at how much her shape had changed since the last time he'd seen her naked. "It's _amazing,_ " he finished, bringing one hand up to cup her cheek, and the other to wrap around her waist. Pepper smiled, biting her lip shyly.

"You _think_ so?" she asked him hopefully, grasping and gently stroking with her thumb the wrist of the hand at her cheek. "It doesn't gross you out?"

Tony scoffed. "Are you _kidding?"_ he asked her. "It's _you,_ Pepper. And it's..." he said, running his hands back down to her stomach. "It's _us,_ too. All at the same time," he said, gazing in adoration at her stomach before moving his eyes back up to hers to do the same thing. "It's _perfect,"_ he whispered, his eyes becoming glassy with emotion.

Pepper gasped at the raw vulnerability in his voice, and smiled lovingly at him. "I'm glad you think so," she whispered back. "To be honest, I was a little worried."

"Worried?" Tony said, frowning.

Pepper nodded. "I know this isn't _exactly_ an ideal situation, or anything either one of us have had experience with," she said. "But I was really hoping, that once you saw me," She gestured toward her belly. "Like _this,_ that you'd still..." she hesitated for a moment to find the words. " _Want_ me," she finished.

"Oh, I _want_ you, baby," Tony purred, with a smirk. " _Now,_ more than _ever."_

Pepper grinned in relief as he slowly came in for a tender, but very sound kiss. " _Good._ That's _good,_ " she murmured, in between his gentle kisses. Tony wrapped her in his arms, and they deepened their kiss. He smoothed his hands down her sides and around to her rear. He grasped her behind, squeezing it lovingly. Then slowly he broke the kiss, and rubbed the tips of their noses together. "Before we go on, I have an important question for you," he murmured.

Pepper gave him a curious smile. "A _question?"_ she asked.

Tony nodded. "Mmm hmm," he said. "And I want you to answer it honestly. Deal?"

"Okay?" she said.

"What I wanna know _is_ \- would you mind too _terribly_ ," Tony said, pausing to plant a couple of flirty, tongue-flicking kisses on her neck before continuing. "If _I..."_ he began again, repeating the same process after.

"If _you,"_ Pepper urged, enjoying his affection.

"If _I,"_ Tony teased again, raising back up to look into her eyes with smokey arousal, and a mischievous smirk. "Went _down_ on you? Ms. _Potts?"_ he purred in a low rumble. "You know. For old times' sake?"

Pepper giggled, and bit her lip as she blushed. " _That's_ the important question you wanted to ask me?" she asked, amused.

Tony noticed her reddened cheeks, and smiled to himself at being able to get her under her skin so easily. Then he feigned a serious look. "I'll have you know, I am _dying_ to taste..."

"Yes! Okay!" Pepper squeaked hastily, interrupting him. Then she bit her lip, and winced at being so impulsive, no matter how pure the intentions were. She knew Tony _loved_ to take any opportunity that came along to mess with her, and therefore, would chalk this up as a victory. _Another thing that hasn't changed,_ she mused. Truly, though, she didn't actually mind, as it had been _so_ long since they'd made love. And she was glad to have the chance to be reminded of just how _good_ he _was_ at making love to her.

He chuckled and nodded. "' _Y_ _es, okay',_ as in, nothing would give you greater pleasure than allowing me to eat you out? Or _yes, okay,_ as in you'd _mind?"_ he teased, with a cocked eyebrow.

Pepper chuckled. "I think you already _know_ that answer to that," she replied.

Tony grinned slyly, and nodded in the affirmative. "Alrighty, then. Lie _down,_ baby," he purred. "Relax. And _enjoy_. I know _I_ will."

Pepper chuckled again, and did as instructed. And Tony positioned himself on all fours over the top of her, starting his venture with a deep and passionate, but very slow, and tender kiss. Pepper moaned, thoroughly enjoying his efforts so far. Then, easing himself away from her lips, he worked his way down her body, tenderly kissing and flicking his tongue against her skin as he moved. He playfully sucked each nipple, shifting his eyes up to hers for approval each time. Pepper would just smile softly and give him an approving nod, and he'd smile back, before continuing to methodically cover her body in tender kisses. He moved down over her belly, pausing to plant an adoring kiss on each side, one for each baby, before moving farther south, which made Pepper's heart flutter with love. Eventually, he'd scooted to the end of the bed, and laid on his stomach, watching hungrily as Pepper then opened her legs to him.

"Mmmmmm," Tony purred, once her center was fully revealed to him. "Looks _delicious."_ He took a brief moment to plant loving kisses on the insides of her thighs before he engulfed Pepper's pink folds with his mouth. She let out a breathy chirp from the initial sensation of his wet tongue on her sex, but it was quickly followed by a euphoric moan. She reached down between her legs and ran her fingers through his hair, gently grasping it as he worked. Then she closed her eyes in bliss, which only served to heighten the sensation of Tony's lips and tongue working her body.

"Oooooo, yeah, I remember this," Pepper moaned, after a few moments.

Tony paused for a moment. "Is it as good as you remember?" he asked her.

Pepper popped open one eye, and looked down at him. "Just keep going, and I'll give you my full report at the end," she replied.

Tony nodded, and smiled. "Got it," he said, and went back to work.

After a few more minutes, Pepper could feel the orgasmic tension start to build in her core. Tony noticed this, too, as she began to writhe more and more in pleasure, and he decided to increase his efforts in reply. He wrapped his arms around the backs of her thighs, and gripped the tops of her legs with his hands, tightening his hold on her as he deepened the impact of his lips and tongue on her body.

"Huh! Ohhhhhhh, _God,_ yes!" Pepper cried. "Yes! Keep doing _that!_ Don't stop!"

Pepper's lips were very engorged and her opening was beginning to spasm by this time, and Tony's mouth, goatee and chin were becoming increasingly slicked with her moisture. And he was completely delighted by it. So many times in the last few months, his mind had cruelly recalled from memory the way she tasted, sounded, and _smelled_ in these instances, tormenting him over and over again mercilessly. And the worst part _was,_ he wasn't sure he'd _ever_ get to experience it again. _What a damn shame THAT would have been!,_ he mused, eternally grateful that he wouldn't have to continue grieving for that potential loss anymore. _Or ANY loss,_ he thought happily, as so much hurt from his past was quickly being handled and overcome. _Finally! I get to have some peace and happiness. And a family! And it's with Pepper!_

 _"_ Oh my _God_ , Tony! Oh my _God!_ " Pepper cried out, now fully in the throws of a powerful orgasm, bringing him out of his thoughts and back to the present. She was trembling and writhing, and he was gripping her hard now, riding out the wave with her to the end. He lapped at her juices eagerly, anxious to taste every bit of her as she came. And when her body had given all it had, she sighed loudly, and seemingly melted into the bed, chest heaving, and cheeks flushed.

Tony raised up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, smirking at her triumphantly. Pepper raised up a lazy hand, and motioned for him to come to her. "You. Get up here. Now," she grunted breathlessly.

Tony's eyes flashed eagerly, and he did as he was told, crawling up the bed on hands and knees toward her. Once he was close enough, Pepper cupped his face in her hands and hungrily kissed his mouth, tasting for herself the flavor of his efforts on her body. Their tongues delved deep inside each others mouths, and they both moaned with desire. As the kiss broke, Pepper sighed in satisfaction, and smiled at him with a dopey, sex-drugged, grin. Tony grinned back. He settled in on his side beside her, and ran his hand down her body, eventually letting it come to rest between her legs. Her sex was still very swollen, and soaking wet. Pepper instinctively opened her legs again to his touch, and he began lazily swirling his middle finger over her clit, occasionally dipping it inside of her opening to gather more lubrication, and then continuing his previous motions. Meanwhile, they gazed at each other lovingly, in silence, for several moments, just enjoying each others presence.

" _So,_ Ms. Potts?" Tony finally purred, looked at her inquisitively. Pepper chuckled. "How's about that report, now, huh?"

"You just _can't_ help yourself, can you?" she teased. "You just have to be told how good you are."

"Hey. How am I supposed to know how to improve if I don't get some feedback, huh?" Tony asked, trying to look innocent. Pepper just giggled at him again. He left her gaze to look at down at his hand working between her legs. "I can't get enough of you, by the way," he purred. He looked back at her, and Pepper smiled.

"I was hoping you didn't think we were _done,_ " she replied.

"Oh, we're _just_ getting _started,_ " he cooed. "Make _no_ mistake about that. Going from having sex on the daily to a five month long sexual drought leaves a _lot_ to make up for."

"You're telling _me,_ " Pepper concurred. "Which begs the question- _why_ are you still wearing all of these clothes?" she asked playfully, gesturing up and down his body.

Tony looked down at himself and then gave her a sheepish grin. "Beats _me,_ " he said shrugging. "I would love _nothing_ more than to spend the next few days with you _completely_ naked."

Pepper laughed out loud. And Tony chuckled at her laughing. "Sounds like a plan, Stark," she replied. Pepper sat up, propping herself up on her elbows. "And I move we put that plan into action _immediately,"_ she informed him, with a sly smile.

Tony's eyes sparkled excitedly. "Then, I _second_ that motion!" he said, clamoring to get off the bed, and yanking his undershirt off over his head with a flourish, making Pepper giggle.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you guys are still enjoying this one. (Working on other updates for some other stories simultaneously, btw. I'm a busy little bunny over here!)**

 **I've decided this fic's going to be my version of a safe haven for our couple. (God knows they could use one.) Not to say there won't be bits of conflict here and there (it would be pretty boring without it), and it won't be overly long. Only a few chapters. But I'm feeling the urge to write a fic where they just get to enjoy each other without a lot of other fuss, you know? Sound okay? I hope so. Let me know your thoughts! And happy reading. ;)**

A couple of hours later, Tony awakened to find himself alone in bed. He squinted and blinked in the bright afternoon sunlight filtering in through the bedroom window, and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Pep?" he called out hoarsely. But there was no answer. He frowned, his mind playing tricks on him for a second, making him think the last few hours with her had been a dream. "There's no way," he mumbled to himself, as the blissful memory of he and Pepper having a very vigorous sexual session together came flooding back to him. It was _adventurous,_ to say the least. Pepper's swollen belly of course prevented the traditional position. But to him, that was actually a perfect chance to experiment. And experiment, they _did._ Much to his delight, she kept pace with him the whole time. When it was over, however, Pepper was clearly exhausted, and quickly slipped into a deep sleep, with Tony holding her protectively in his arms, not being able to help a very contented smile from spreading across his lips as he buried his nose in her hair before drifting off to dreamland himself.

He smiled, even now, at the thought of what took place. He felt proud that she had continued to take good care of herself, and maintain staying fit, even in pregnancy. He was glad that she was was doing her level best to make sure she was healthy, and their babies where healthy, as well. _She's gonna be a GREAT mom,_ he thought.

Tony lazily climbed out of bed and looked around for something to put on. He walked to the closet, and was pleasantly surprised to find Pepper hadn't boxed anything of his up. It was all as he'd left it, and this made him smile again. _Looks like we were both holding out hope,_ he realized. He quickly found a pair of black sweats with a draw-string waist and two white stripes up the sides, and a long-sleeved black t-shirt to go with. He quickly threw them on, and trekked downstairs in search of his pregnant girlfriend. However, he frowned when he reached the living room and didn't find her. "Pepper?" he called out again, looking around.

"In _here!_ " he heard her reply from the kitchen. He smiled, and walked briskly to where she was to find she was dressed in his dress shirt he had been wearing previously, with her back to him and her behind sticking out of the fridge.

He chuckled at the sight. She heard him, and swiveled around, embarrassed. "Don't laugh at me, Stark. I have _twins_ to feed," she quipped, spinning back around. "And apparently, they are ravenous. Enough to wake me out of a sound sleep, anyway," she informed him, as she drummed her fingers on the top off the fridge door as she continued to examine her options, and a furrowing her brow with disapproval at what she was finding.

Tony walked to where she was, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, smoothing his hands over her middle. She smiled at his touch, and lolled her head back against his shoulder in reply.

"I _guess_ that's a good excuse for leaving me alone in our bed," he joked softly, affectionately nuzzling her neck.

"Best excuse _I_ have, anyway," she replied, turning around once more to face him. She smiled briefly, and then frowned again in thought while chewing her lip.

Tony frowned as well. "What?" he said. "In this whole kitchen _,_ you can't find what you're looking for?" he asked, gesturing to the expansive bank of cabinetry around them. "Isn't _that_ why we build this the way we did? So you'd have the pantry you'd always dreamed of, and would have every apparatus imaginable at your finger tips?"

Pepper groused. "Well, _yes,_ but..." she stammered. She shook her head and walked away, returning to her search. "I've got a _righteous_ craving happening, and you just wouldn't understand," she stated. He looked on in amazement as she then opened every cupboard, sifted through it, and then abruptly closed it, systematically. She then disappeared into the walk-in pantry Tony had spoken of, and then quickly reappeared, grousing in frustration. He just raised his eyebrows in silence.

" _Damn_ it," she huffed.

"What _are_ you looking for, _exactly,_ honey?" he offered.

"That's just _it_!" she chirped, throwing her hands up in the air. "I don't _know!_ Not _exactly!"_

 _"Okay?_ " Tony replied, trying to hide his growing amusement.

"I know I want something sweet. But not _too_ sweet. But I also know I want something salty. But, _again,..."  
_

"Not _too_ salty?" Tony interjected, with a knowing smirk.

" _Exactly!"_ Pepper replied. She sighed heavily. "I guess it doesn't matter _that_ much. Just so long as it's not _oatmeal,"_ she muttered.

"Oatmeal?" Tony asked, frowning in confusion.

Pepper went on to explain. "The _only_ reason why I'm saying that is because it's all I could keep _down_ until a couple of weeks ago."

Tony winced. "Morning sickness?" he guessed.

"Like _hell,"_ Pepper said. " 'Morning sickness' is the _nice_ way of putting it! Me?! It was _constant vomiting."_

Tony's wince turned to a grimace. " _Wow,"_ he murmured. "Sounds...retched. Is that _normal?_ "

"It _was_ retched. And, _yes_. When you're carrying twins, it _is_ normal, unfortunately," she said, smoothing a hand over her stomach, and smiling at him reluctantly. "I honestly thought I'd never eat anything but oatmeal again! It was the _only_ thing that would settle my stomach long enough for me to even _remotely_ recover from the all of the upchucking. By the end, my abdominal muscles were _screaming_ at me," she told him.

"Forget retched. That sounds like _hell_ ," Tony recanted, grimacing. "How did you manage all of these months?"

"I went to the ER a couple of times to get a heavy dose of anti-nausea medication, just so I could get some rest _._ Happy was my hero during that whole time. Obviously, I couldn't drive myself. So, thankfully, he was willing to dust off the old chauffeur's hat and give me a lift," she recalled.

Tony furrowed his brow as the hurt from her words sank into his bones. _You didn't have to do this by yourself, Pep,_ he thought. _I would have been there for you. In a New York minute._

Pepper noticed his changed in expression, and stopped talking. "Tony?" she said. "You okay?"

Tony lifted his gaze to her, and gave her a weak smile. "Happy's a good friend for doing that, Pep. But I should'a been the one to be there for you." he murmured quietly.

"Well, the puking wouldn't have been a fun thing for you to behold, but..." she started to say. But she trailed off, feeling guilty for him not being included in all of the ups and downs she'd experienced in the pregnancy so far. "I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't meant to rehash a sore subject. I shouldn't have said anything."

Tony spoke again. "I wish I could have been there when you found out, too, you know? And gone to your first doctor's appointment, and..."

"If it's any consolation, I saved the test," Pepper offered.

Tony stopped talking and looked at her. "What?" he said.

Pepper shrugged. "I saved the test. I almost didn't, but then I thought maybe it would be fun to put it in a baby book..."

"Can I _see_ it?" he asked eagerly.

Pepper smiled. "You _want_ to see it?" she asked.

Tony swallowed hard and nodded. " _Please,_ " he pleaded.

Pepper smiled softly, and nodded. "Okay," she said. "Wait _here_."

Tony watched her disappear back upstairs. A few moments later, she came back down, carrying a little white stick in her hand. Tony had seated himself at the breakfast bar on a stool, and Pepper stepped up behind him, handing the test to him over his shoulder. He swiveled to wrap an arm around her waist as he looked at what she'd handed him. Sure enough, it was as positive as all get out, with two blue lines forming a plus sign, and a digital screen reading "pregnant" in big bold letters. He smiled, and turned his head to give her belly a gentle kiss. But then, the thoughts of what must have been going through Pepper's mind when she first saw the results clouded the moment, and he frowned. _She must have taken it after we broke up,_ he thought. But then _again..._

Suddenly, a pit grew in his stomach as he was gripped with the need to know. Pepper had wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and was looking down at the test like he was. Tony turned his gaze up to hers. "When did you take this test, Pep?" he asked.

Pepper slowly straightened up to look at him, her eyes somberly searching his face. She didn't answer.

Tony frowned, his heart sinking. " _Pepper?_ " he said.

Pepper chewed her lip in thought, but slowly she began to unravel, and her eyes welled with tears. She brought a hand to her mouth, and looked away from his gaze. Tony set the test on the counter, and reached for her hand, holding it in both of his. "Baby, you can tell me. I promise. I just wanna know," he assured her.

Pepper turned her eyes back to his, and nodded as tears fell down her cheeks. "Okay, then," she began. She took a deep breath before she continued. "It was around the time we were supposed to do the presentation at MIT," she explained.

Tony furrowed his brow. "What do you mean by _around?_ Like _, after?"_ he asked hopefully.

Pepper's chin began to quiver again. She shook her head. "N-no," she whispered.

Tony's eyes went wide as his worst fear was confirmed. He slowly let go of her hand, and rose from his stool. Pepper choked out a sob, and stepped backwards, out of his embrace. Tony's eyes danced as he was trying to process what she was telling him. _How could she keep this from me while we were still together?,_ he thought. _Granted, our time was running out. But we were still, for all intents and purposes, together._

He was trying to remain calm, but it was proving more and more difficult with each passing millisecond. "Okay, just...hold _on_ ," he muttered. He scrubbed a shaky hand over his goatee. "Back up, here. How _long_ before MIT did you know, Pepper?"

Pepper just glumly looked at him, and nervously chewing her lip.

" _Piease,_ " Tony repeated, his voice desperate.

Slowly, she held up two fingers. "Two days," she answered softly.

The corners of Tony's mouth turned down. "So the _day_ before we actually broke up, then," he replied.

Pepper nodded weakly. "That's _correct,"_ she murmured.

Tony took his gaze from off of her, and shifted to the middle distance. He nodded. "Okay, alright, yeah, that's..." he stammered.

Pepper tried to go to him. "Tony, _please,_ " she begged, but he stepped back and away from her defensively.

"I just... _need_ a minute, alright?" he insisted, his eyes full of hurt.

Pepper bit her lips together, as new tears began to fall. She nodded in understanding. "Okay," she said. "I guess I can't blame you. So take your time. Just..." she began. She looked at him pleadingly. " _Please_ don't be angry? I did what I did because...I was _scared,_ Tony. To _death._ And besides that, we were... _God,_ we were fighting _all_ the time, and..."

Tony nodded numbly, but didn't make eye contact. He swallowed hard. "Yeah, got it," he said plainly.

Pepper nodded in acknowledgement. "Ok, then," she murmured, as she turned to leave the kitchen. Tony kept his eyes to the floor, but heard Pepper pad back upstairs, followed by the sound of their bedroom door closing. He thought he even detected the sound of her crying from behind that closed door, but with the ringing in his ears from the shock of what had just happened, it was hard for him to tell.

He managed to stumble back to his stool at the breakfast bar and sit down on it heavily, putting his elbows on the counter, holding his head in his hands to stop the room from spinning. He closed his eyes, and the recollection of all of the things that he and Pepper said to each other in the days leading up to their break up came flooding back. He couldn't deny what she'd said about it. They _had_ fought a lot during that time- about their relationship, about their future, about how she felt like she was _still_ playing second fiddle to Iron Man, even after he promised her she _wouldn't_ be anymore. And how she was growing weary of having to constantly live in fear- of what was coming, of him losing the fight, or him losing his _life._

 _But she never asked me to stop. She just asked me to stop obsessing, to slow down and s_ _top being so goddamned distracted! She tried to tell me I didn't have to carry the load on my own. I had help that I was refusing to use. Why didn't you wake up, Stark?! The woman you love had something important to tell you! You just were too stubborn to know it!_

When his self-admonishment had finished, Tony scrubbed his hands over his face, and took a few deep breaths. Then he shifted his eyes to the ceiling. "FRIDAY," he called out. "You up?"

"Do you even need to ask?" the AI replied.

"I think a little mood music is in order for this evening," Tony said. "But only after I come back. I've got a quick errand to run, first."

"Certainly, Mr. Stark," FRIDAY responded. "Shall I inform Ms. Potts of your leaving?"

"Depends," Tony said, teeter-tottering his head. "What's she doing right now?"

"Currently, sir? It appears she's _napping._ "

Tony smiled to himself. "Poor kid," he muttered. Then he raised his eyes upward once more. "Nah, that's okay. Let her sleep. She needs it," he told his AI. "Just let her know what I'm doing if she wakes up before I come back, huh?"

"Of course, sir. And might I say? It _is_ good to have you home, sir. Welcome back," FRIDAY said.

Tony smiled appreciatively. "Thanks. It's good to _be_ home, FRIDAY," he replied.


	4. Chapter 4

**A shorter chapter, but more on the way, I assure you. Many thanks to my readers and reviewers! You guys make it all worth it! :D Happy Reading**

A couple of hours later, Pepper was awakened by the feeling of Tony's lips on hers, gently kissing her awake. She moaned softly, and smiled at him as she slowly opened her eyes. He smiled back.

"Well, hello, there, sleeping beauty," he teased, and she chuckled.

"Hey, yourself," she murmured. "Am I to assume you're not upset any more?"

Tony was crouched next to the bed, and took her hand in both of his as he looked deeply into her eyes. "You'd tried to tell me what you needed, baby," he said. "I just wasn't listening. Not how you _needed_ me to. And I'm _sorry,_ " he finished by saying. Then he bent to plant a kiss on her forehead.

Pepper smiled softly again. Then she raised the other hand to cup his cheek. They gazed at each other lovingly. "You needed to know I was pregnant, though. Regardless of what state we were in. I should have just come out with it as soon as I knew, and told you," she replied.

Tony patted the hand at his cheek and smiled. "Pepper, let's make a deal, huh?" he asked. "From this moment on, no more secrets. No more broken promises. We're starting fresh. Here and now. I want this to be a new beginning for us, honey. I want..."

But his words were interrupted by Pepper sitting up abruptly and crashing their lips together, kissing him hard. He moaned in reply and returned her fervor. When the kiss broke, they slowly parted, and opened their eyes to gaze at each other.

"It's a _deal,_ " Pepper purred, smiling.

Tony smiled back. " _Really?"_ he said.

She nodded. " _Really,"_ she replied.

Tony let out a sigh of relief, and brought their lips back together again for another kiss. Pepper giggled and kissed him back, cupping his face in her hands. The kiss broke, and he pecked her lips one more time for good measure. Then they smiled lovingly at each other.

" _Now,_ then," he said. "I hope you're still hungry, Potts. I've taken the liberty of rounding up some old favorites of ours I hope you'll find _satisfactory."_

Pepper's eyes brightened in surprise, and she grinned. " _Impressive,_ " she cooed. "Look who handled _dinner."_

Tony smirked. "Well, it _is_ Friday night, Pep," he reminded her. "And you _know_ what _that_ means."

Pepper gasped, and then giggled. "Of _course!_ How could I forget? It's _date night,_ " she answered, with a knowing smirk.

Tony smiled and nodded. "Yep. And while you're handing out the kudos, I might as well tell you that not _only_ did your adoring boyfriend and father of your children cover _dinner,"_ he said, gently taking one of her hands in his and kissing the back of it, while teasingly giving her a cheesy smolder, which only made her chuckle. "But I also took care of dessert, _and_ tonight's entertainment, _and_ gathered some thoughts on the weekend _ahead,_ " he offered.

"Look at you _go_ ," Pepper said, smiling in her admiration of his efforts.

"Yes, _ma'am,_ " Tony clucked cockily. "So, _tell_ me, oh, love of my life? How does all of _that_ sound, hmmm?"

Pepper giggled, and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning in to peck his lips. "It sounds _divine,_ " she said, after the kiss broke.

Tony grinned. "I _thought_ you'd approve," he answered.

XxXxXxXxXx

A short time later, they'd made their way down to the kitchen, where Tony had put out the spread he'd brought home. And, as far as Pepper could see, he wasn't kidding about gathering some of their old favorites. There were platters and boxes _full_ of all of the things they'd always liked to eat together in the past- from Chinese food, to pizza, pasta, tacos, cheeseburgers and fries, and everything in between. The only thing she _couldn't_ find was the dessert he'd promised. _Must_ _be a surprise,_ she thought happily, knowing how much Tony liked to dazzle her with little things like that.

" _So?"_ he asked expectantly, giving her a look like a puppy would when it knew it did something worthy of reward. "Did I do well?"

Pepper giggled, and nodded, leaning in to peck his cheek. He leaned over to oblige, eyes sparkling from her praise, as she kissed him.

"Yes, you did _very_ well," she said, turning back to look at the feast. " _Look_ at all of this! If I wasn't eating for three, I'd wonder how we'd get through it!"

Tony laughed, and pulled her into his arms, secretly amused at the fact that she was too big for him to be able interlace his fingers around her waist. "Hey, you're carrying _Starks,_ right? We'll have this polished off in _no_ time," he joked.

Pepper chuckled. "I hate to admit it, but you're probably right," she agreed.

The two soon set about loading up their plates, Pepper grabbing a hearty helping of everything that easily competed with Tony's own plate piled high. "To the living room?" he suggested when they had finished dishing up.

Pepper winced. "Food in the living room?" she said.

Tony gave her a surprised look. "Ewww _kay?_ " he said, in confusion. "Since _when_ have we _not_ eaten in the living room?"

"Since I put down a very _light_ colored, very _expensive_ rug underneath the sofa that I'd rather you not _trash_ in your voraciousness, Tony," she warned.

He scoffed in reply. "Pssshh, rug- schmug. _I'm_ eating in _there_ ," he said, nodding toward the living room, while noticing Pepper's glower burning holes in the side of his head, in his peripheral vision.

She huffed. _"Fine,_ " she said, relenting. "You're a grown man. You can do what you want. But I'm _warning_ you, Tony Stark! It took me _weeks_ to find that rug! And if you ruin it, so _help_ me..."

"We'll get _another_ one," he quipped. " _Honestly,_ Pepper. You think they only made just _one_ of those? You don't reckon they maybe made, oh I don't know, _more_ than one? To- and maybe this is just me, but- try to turn a _profit?_ "

Pepper just narrowed her eyes. "You think you're funny, don't you?" she retorted.

Tony just smirked triumphantly. "Nope! I just think I'm _right_. To the living room, my dear!" he bellowed ceremoniously. Pepper just rolled her eyes and shook her head, but followed after him as he left the kitchen.

They made their way to the sofa, and Tony gingerly sat down with his towering plate, conscious of Pepper's scrutinizing him as he moved. He thought he detected a sigh of relief from her when he'd got settled without managing to spill anything, which made him smile to himself. She took position next to him, and carefully sat her plate next to his on the coffee table in front of them. Tony grabbed the tv remote off the table, and instantly began clicking through channels as Pepper dug into her food.

"Oh my _God,_ this is amazing," she muttered in between bites.

Tony smirked at her, and watched her fork another giant mouthful out of the corner of his eye before flicking his gaze back to the screen. "You _bet_ it is. See? I _know_ what my girlfriend likes," he tutted proudly, as he perused the guide listings.

Pepper was chewing Chinese noodles, and couldn't verbally answer. She slurped the last of her them, and then nodded, wiping her mouth with her napkin. "You certainly _do,"_ she replied. "It's all _wonderful."_

Tony held up the remote in his hand, and rested his elbow on his knee as he continued to click, but reached over with his other hand, and laid it on her belly, giving it a loving rub. "And the _mini's?"_ he asked. "How are _they_ liking the fare?"

Pepper smiled, and patted his hand. " _Very_ well. They are _much_ quieter, now, I have to say. I think you may put them into a food coma," she joked.

"Hey, all I did was load the feed bag," he answered. " _You_ were the one who strapped it on, and went to town."

Pepper laughed at him teasing her, and he gave her a sly smile. "Seriously, look at this!" he said, pointing to his still-full plate. "I haven't even _started_ yet, and you're practically _done._ Did you even _taste_ any of that? Should I liquify it, and hook it up intravenously next time? I feel like traditional feeding methods are _far_ too inefficient in this situation."

Pepper laughed out loud, and ran her hand over her stomach. "What can I say? They're _Starks,_ right?" she joked, smirking at him.

Tony grinned proudly at her, and then leaned over and kissed her lips. "Damn _right,_ they are," he said, looking in her eyes intently. Pepper gave him a loving smile back. Then he bent down and kissed her belly, and she ran her hand affectionately through his hair as he did it before he sat back up.

"Well, _Potts,"_ he said, frowning at the tv screen. "The pickings are slim on the boob tube, tonight, I'm afraid." He begrudgingly shut it off, and tossed the remote back on the table.

Pepper looked at him curiously. "I was told there would be entertainment this evening?" she teased.

"Yeah, not during dinner," Tony replied. "I didn't want _anything_ to get in the way of _that,_ knowing how ravenous you probably were. I was just looking for something mindless to watch while we ate."

"Good thinking," Pepper said, smiling.

"But there _is_ entertainment planned, _yes,"_ he affirmed. "For _after._ Just..." he said, turning his eyes back to the darkened tv screen and sighing in defeat. "Nothing to watch while we feed our faces."

Suddenly, Pepper sat up. "Ooo!" she said.

Tony looked her in surprise. "What?" he said, his voice slightly alarmed.

She smiled widely at him. " _I_ know what we could watch!" she said. "And I think you'll agree, it's a _perfect_ choice."

Tony sat silent, his curiosity peaking. "FRIDAY?" Pepper called out. "Load the videos in the file I saved to our private server, please?"

"Of course, Ms. Potts," the AI replied, and soon the tv flickered back to life.

Tony cocked an eyebrow at her. " _Videos?_ " he asked, a slight inherent panic setting in from the _last_ time he'd been made to watch a video unexpectedly. "Wh-what is it, Pepper? What are we watching? What have you got?" he asked nervously.

Pepper just smiled at him warmly. "Sshhhhh, " she said softly, holding a finger to her lips. "Just _watch._ It's a _surprise."_


	5. Chapter 5

**_More fluffy Pepperony goodness. SO glad you guys are along for the ride...;)_**

Tony flicked his eyes back to the tv screen, awaiting what Pepper had in store for him. He was still feeling a little trepidation, but was put somewhat at ease by Pepper's reassuring smile. He watched quietly as a grainy, black and white image appeared inside of a triangle that looked like the top had been cut off on the screen. There was a lot of movement at first, and Tony frowned, not sure of what he was looking at. But then, all at once, what she was trying to show him appeared, and he knew _exactly_ what it was. His eyes went wide.

" _Whoa,"_ he murmured. He glanced at Pepper, his expression one of shock, and then back again at the screen. Pepper just smiled lovingly as she watched him, and smoothed a hand over her baby bump.

" _Told_ you you'd approve," she murmured, with a knowing smile.

"Look at them," he murmured in amazement. Slowly, he arose from off of the couch and walked over to get a closer look. He was in awe, completely silent as his eyes danced around the screen, trying to take in every detail. Pepper watched him for a moment, and then stood up off the couch as well and walked to him. She came to rest beside where he was standing, and smiled as she saw he was completely mesmerized- absolutely captivated by the first images of his children, his eyes glassy with emotion.

"How, um..." he began after a moment, his voice faltering. He cleared his throat, and started again. "How old are they here?" he asked, his tone soft and reverent as he slowly pulled his eyes from the screen to look at her.

Pepper gave him a warm smile, truly touched that he was so overcome by what he saw. "About...8 weeks, I think?" she answered softly back.

Tony nodded, and turned his head back to the video. He swallowed hard, and laid his hand on the screen. A soft smile ghosted over his lips. "8 weeks," he murmured. He tried to think back to what he was doing at the time when she would have been 8 weeks pregnant. _Nothing that was as important as this,_ he thought. "And how many weeks are you now? 20?" he asked.

Pepper nodded. "Yes," she said.

Tony's expression shifted to one of disappointment. " _God_ , what I wouldn't _give_ to see what they look like _now_ ," he mused wistfully. "Just to see how much they've grown."

Pepper smiled, and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around one of his, and gazing at the screen with him. "Well, _this_ is the _first_ ultrasound I had. And, of course, the one where I found out there was not _one_ but _two_ babies." She smiled fondly at the memory.

Tony's eyes went wide. "You have _others?"_ he asked eagerly, shifting his gaze to her.

Pepper chuckled at his giddiness, and nodded. " _Yes,"_ she replied. "With twins, they are ultrasound _happy._ So, I've got several more. The newest one is from just a couple of weeks ago."

Tony grinned. "Can I see 'em?!" he urged. " _All_ of them?!"

Pepper chuckled again. "Of _course,_ " she said sweetly. "I'm just thrilled that you _want_ to."

Tony spluttered. "Are you _kidding?!_ " he asked. "This is _amazing!_ Bring 'em on, Potts! I'll stay up all _night_ to watch every single _one,_ if I have to," he told her excitedly.

Pepper giggled, and then Tony pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly as he planted a loving kiss to the side of her head. " _Thank_ you," he murmured gratefully. "This is awesome. I _love_ that you wanted to show these to me, baby."

Pepper pulled back to look at him, and she smiled, seeing once again that his eyes were filled with emotion. He gave her a big, sheepish grin, and she leaned in to peck his lips. "You're _welcome,_ " she murmured back. "It's my _pleasure."_

Tony gave her a loving smile, and kept his arm around her as he turned back to watch the screen. "So, which one's which?" he asked.

Pepper pointed to the bottom part of the screen. "Well, _that_ is Baby _A._ And, as I later find out, the _girl,"_ she explained.

 _"Wow,"_ Tony murmured. He pointed to the other embryo, near the top of the screen. "So, of course, Baby _B_ is..."

"The _boy,_ yes," Pepper affirmed.

" _Amazing,_ " Tony replied, grinning again. He watched their little creations wiggle and squirm on the screen as their tiny heart beats flickered. "So when did they do the _next_ one?" he asked.

"Around 10 weeks?" she answered.

Tony looked at her in surprise. "Just two weeks later?" he asked.

Pepper nodded, and shrugged. "Just because I'm considered high risk," she said, matter-of-fact.

Tony looked at her in alarm. "High _risk? Why?_ Is there something _wrong_?" he asked.

Pepper smiled at his concern, and smoothed a hand down his upper arm to calm him. "No, nothing's _wrong,_ Tony," she assured him. "It's just that, with any pregnancy where there are multiples, they consider it high-risk, and take extra precautions to make sure that everything is progressing normally."

Tony sigh softly in relief, and nodded. "And it _is?_ " he asked hopefully.

"It _is,_ " she replied, smiling softly.

" _Good,_ " he said, laying his hand on her belly protectively, and kissing her cheek. "Glad to hear it."

They turned their eyes back to their babies, and stood in silence in each others arms, as they took in the moment. Pepper rested her head on Tony's shoulder, and he rested his head on hers, as they continue to watch.

"So, what did you think?" Tony asked softly. "When they said it was twins, I mean?"

Pepper chuckled. "What do you _think_ I was thinking?" she replied. "I was in _total_ shock. I was just getting used to the idea of even _being_ pregnant at _all,_ let alone the mother-to-be of _two._ It rendered me completely _useless_ for a while. I just walked around in a daze."

"I can imagine," Tony said. "I know _I'm_ still in shock about it."

Pepper raised her head, and looked at him with a knowing smile. "But _happy,"_ she said, laying her hand on his chest.

Tony looked at her as he took her hand in his, and gave it a loving squeeze. " _V_ _ery_ happy," he replied. Pepper smiled, and Tony tilted his head down to kiss her soundly. When the kiss broke, they smiled adoringly at each other. Tony then turned his head back to the screen, noticing the image had gone dark, signifying the video's end. "On to the next?" he asked hopefully, looking back at Pepper.

She nodded and smiled, and Tony turning his eyes upward. "FRIDAY?" he called out. "Load the next video in the sequence, if you _please?"_

"Loading the next video, Sir," the AI affirmed.

They walked back to the sofa together, Tony holding Pepper's hand until they rounded the coffee table. And then they sat down together again on the sofa, and Tony forked a mouthful of food from his plate as the next video blipped onto the screen. This time, the babies were a little bigger in size, and beginning to sprout little arms and legs. Their heads had also grown, and were quite distinct at this point, both children far better resembling human form in this video than the last.

"Oh, _wow!_ " Tony crowed, with his mouth full. Pepper chuckled. He finished chewing, and chuckled sheepishly at her laughing at him. " _Seriously!_ Look at how _big_ they got! In just _two_ weeks, too!" he cooed, pointing at the screen in his own defense.

"I _know,_ " Pepper agreed, grinning. "They grow _so_ fast. Just wait until we get to the last video."

"Oh, I _bet._ At _this_ rate, they'll be playing basketball the second they pop out!" he quipped before inhaling another mouthful.

Pepper laughed out loud at his joke, and he grinned at her, his eyes sparkling at making her laugh. He let his gaze linger on her, admiring how beautiful she looked in that moment. Her eyes were all lit up, and mirthful, and she truly appeared to be quite contented. He wasn't sure if it was just her being pregnant that attributed to it, or if it was because she seemed so happy now, but she positively glowed at that moment. And she looked _gorgeous_ to him. _So THAT'S_ _what the 'pregnancy glow' means_ _,_ he thought, lovingly. _No wonder people think it's_ _beautiful._ He took a mental picture of it, locking it away in his memory banks for future reference. Then he turned his eyes back to the video, and kept watching, and eating, as it continued.

A few minutes went by, and the video ended. FRIDAY began to play the next one in succession. Tony was just finishing his plate, by that time. Pepper had finished long ago, and before the new video began, he got up, and took their plates to the kitchen. "Pause it, FRIDAY," he called out, as he was leaving the room. "I don't wanna miss a _second_."

Pepper smiled at his enthusiasm, and settled back in her seat to wait for him to come back, and drumming her fingers on her belly. Suddenly, she felt what she knew to be a baby hiccup on her right side, and she ran her hand over the spot, smiling in amusement and adoration.

Tony soon returned and took his place next to her on the sofa again. He eyed her curiously. "What's going on?" he asked, noticing what she was doing.

"Give me your hand," she said, simultaneously motioning for it. He did, and she placed it over the spot on her stomach where she'd had hers, pressing it gently against her with her own hand.

Tony leaned in in anticipation, trying to figure what she was showing him. But, after a few moments, nothing happened, and he frowned. "What are we..." he began to ask, but Pepper shushed him.

"Hold on. It'll happen again. Just wait," she murmured.

Tony went quiet again and waited, as she'd asked. Then suddenly he felt a _bump_ from inside her stomach. His eyebrows raised, and Pepper chuckled. "Another kick?" he asked.

"A _hiccup,_ " Pepper corrected. "Little girl gets them now after every meal, without fail," she told him.

Tony smiled, and chuckled. "She _does?"_ he asked delightedly. Pepper nodded, and he looked at her stomach in adoration. Then he pointed to the spot where he'd felt the bumping. "That's _her?_ Right _there_?" he asked intently.

Pepper smiled. "Yep," she affirmed. "That's _her_."

He grinned even more in response, and then planted a loving kiss on the spot to where he'd pointed. "Hello in there, Princess," he cooed to his daughter. Then he smirked. "Glad you enjoyed dinner," he teased.

The baby hiccuped again, and both of them laughed.

Tony then raised up, and focused on the other side of her stomach. "And what about _Junior?"_ he asked, nodding toward her belly with a proud smirk. "What are _his_ thoughts?"

"He's pretty quiet after he's been fed, usually," she told him. "I think he just goes to sleep."

"Sound like anyone _else_ you know after a big meal?" Tony teased, cocking an eyebrow at her.

Pepper laughed again, and nodded. "Like father, like son. _That's_ for sure," she agreed.

Tony gave her a grin and sat back up. He then proceeded to stretch out, putting his feet up on the coffee table in front of them, and crossing his ankles. He grasped Pepper's hand in his, and interlaced their fingers. "Alright, FRIDAY. Onward and upward. Let's continue to roll footage on project _mini-Starks_ , huh?" he commanded.

Pepper giggled, and he smirked. She sank down into the couch cushions in order to put her feet up on the table next to his. When she was settled, he lolled his head against her shoulder, and she laid her head on his in return as they resumed watching the progression of their babies's growth together.


	6. Chapter 6

They'd worked their way through the next three ultrasound videos of the 12th, 14th, and 16th weeks of Pepper's pregnancy, with Tony becoming more enthralled with each one. Finally, they had come to the most recent one- the one for her 18th week, _and_ the one where she learned what they were having. " _This_ is where it gets _interesting,_ " she informed him.

Tony cocked an eyebrow at her. "It's _already_ interesting, Potts. To say the _least,"_ he cooed, raising her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it.

"Hmmmm. Well, then. You'll just have to see what I mean exactly, now, _won't_ you?" she told him knowingly, as they both turned their eyes back to the screen while FRIDAY loaded the final video. This time, though, instead of it being a grainy black and white image, it was sepia toned, and in much more vivid detail.

Tony's eyes widened, and he slowly took his feet off the coffee table. He sat straight up in his seat, once again mesmerized. Slowly, a wide grin spread across his lips.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Potts-Stark children in _3-D,"_ Pepper cooed teasingly, as she watched him.

Tony chuckled at her being melodramatic, but kept his eyes fixed on the screen. " _Wow,_ " he gasped, shaking his head back and forth in wonder. "You weren't kidding. Look at 'em! They're...they're..." he stammered.

" _Amazing?_ " Pepper purred, running a loving hand over her stomach. But Tony scoffed.

"Pssh. No, they're _better_ than amazing! These are _our_ kids we're talking about, Pepper. They're...they're, _"_ he corrected, still struggling to find the words. He swallowed hard. " _Really_ amazing," he finished, with a giggle coming from Pepper in response.

She sat forward in her seat as well, and wrapped her arms around one of his, laying her head on his shoulder. "I would have to agree, I think," she cooed in adoration.

Tony pulled his eyes from the screen to gaze into hers. Then he gave her an adoring smile, and went in for soft, lingering kiss. When it broke, they slowly opened their eyes and smiled at each other again. Tony dropped his eyes to her stomach, and laid a protective hand on it. Pepper watched him as he began to work his jaw in thought for a moment before he raised his eyes back up to meet her gaze again. Pepper studied his face, catching a glimmer of regret in his eyes mixed with that old familiar vulnerability she'd only been lucky enough to be privy to on very few occasions in the past. Pepper frowned in reply.

"Tony, I'm _sorry._ I didn't mean for this to upset..." she began.

Tony quickly offered a reassuring smile, and shook his head. "I'm not upset, Pep. _God,_ no. Are you kidding? This is just..." he turned his eyes back to the image of their unborn children, his voice cutting out as he tried to find the words. But emotion filled his eyes, and his chin began to quiver before he could speak. "It's more than I could have _ever_ hoped for, baby," he whispered. He turned his eyes back to Pepper and gave her a sheepish grin, shrugging. "That's all," he finished.

"Oh, _Tony,_ " Pepper cooed sympathetically, pulling him to her, and trying to fight off her own tears. "It's more than I ever hoped for, too!" she agreed softly in his ear.

Tony hugged her tightly, then pulled back to look at her curiously. " _Really?_ You...you _wanted_ this? _"_ he asked hopefully.

Pepper smiled and shrugged. "I didn't know it at the time, but _yes,_ " she admitted. "After the initial shock of the news wore off, I realized it's... _exactly_ what I wanted. I _wanted_ a family, Tony. I wanted _us_ to have a family. I just thought it was never going to happen, and the situation was never going to be right, and..."

Tony shrugged. "The situation still isn't _perfect,_ Pep," he reminded her. "You... _okay_ with that?" he asked, cautiously.

Pepper gave him a soft smile. "I don't think our situation will _ever_ be perfect, Tony," she replied. "But I think I can accept that, now, actually."

Tony raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What's changed?" he asked.

"Getting _pregnant._ And being _alone,_ " she admitted sheepishly. They both chuckled, but then Pepper looked deeply into his eyes. "I really _was_ missing you, though. Pregnant or not. I just didn't know how to _tell_ you. I didn't know how you'd take it."

Tony nodded in understanding, but then gave her his trademark smirk, and cocked an eyebrow. "So, tell me again how much you missed me? I don't think I _quite_ caught it the first time," he joked, making an attempt to lighten the mood.

Pepper just giggled, and nodded, and then gave him a bit of a pouty smolder. "But _you_ missed _me_ just as much, though, right?" she teased.

Tony went straight-faced. "Nope! Not in the _least,"_ he dead-panned, trying hide a smile. Pepper scoffed, and smacked him on the shoulder. He flinched, but ignored her, as she was trying to look completely put out by his comment but failing miserably, and pretended to check his watch instead. "Yeah, and about that? I've gotta get home to the missus. She's probably wondering where I _skee-daddled_ off to in such a hurry this morning. Or didn't I tell you? I got hitched while we were apart. We sent out engraved invitations to the wedding. What? You didn't get _yours?_ That's a pity," he teased.

Pepper chuckled at him teasing her. "A _wife_ _,_ hmmmm? Already? Wow. You _do_ work fast, Stark, having a girl on each coast," Pepper joked. "Tell me, what's Mrs. Stark's _first_ name? Do I know her?"

"Uh, no. No, I don't think so," he answered, matter-of-fact. "Her name is..." he snapped his fingers, and furrowed his brow.

" _That_ memorable, huh?" Pepper goaded. "Must be true love."

"I'll think of it in a second, just... _Petunia! That's_ the one. It's Petunia!" he joked, trying to keep a straight face. "Mrs. Petunia Stark. The _one_ and _only."_

Pepper spluttered in amusement, and then tried to regather her own composure, giving him an inquisitive look. "Petunia? Really? Hmmm," she teased back.

Tony nodded in the affirmative. "Yep. Good old _Petunia,_ " he joked, and then they both broke their already weakened facades and chuckled at each other.

"Pe- _tunia?!_ Are you _kidding_ me, Tony? _That's_ the first woman's name that came to mind?" Pepper prodded.

He shrugged. "Hey, I like _plant_ names, okay? _Pepper. Petunia._ I'm going for a botanically _themed_ love life, alright? Don't judge," he teased.

Pepper just rolled her eyes, and smirked at him. Tony smiled at her in adoration before leaning in for a kiss, capturing her mouth soundly with his. And Pepper let him, loving the feeling of his lips on hers, and the fluttery butterflies in her stomach that had happily returned with it.

After a moment, Tony slowly broke the kiss, and moaned in approval. " _Still_ can't get enough of that," he murmured softly. Pepper just smiled, and bashfully bit her lips together.

Tony studied her face fondly for a moment, a bit lost in thought, before coming back to the present and speaking again. "Come here. Come with me," he said, standing up, and holding out his hand to her.

Pepper looked curiously up at him. "What? What are we..."

"Just come on. Follow my lead, Potts," he urged.

Pepper stood, and Tony lead her around the coffee table to the space between it and the tv screen. Then he pulled her into his arms, and Pepper smiled knowingly at the realization of what he was doing. Tony saw that she recognized this move, and he smiled at her before raising his eyes ceiling-ward.

"Hey, Friday? Freeze the video where we're at. The Mini's make for a pretty great backdrop," he commanded.

"Certainly, Sir," FRIDAY responded. "And shall I start the music you'd requested earlier, as well?"

Tony brought his eyes back to Pepper, and smirked at her. Pepper chuckled and gave him a knowing smile back.

"Well, it seems it's as good a time as any, huh?" he joked. Just then, a soft, lazy piano riff echoed out over the sound system, and they began to sway.

"Uh-oh. Look who's up to his old tricks," Pepper cooed.

"Yeah, it's an oldie, but a goody," Tony answered. "Incidentally, is it working?"

Pepper chuckled, and leaned in to rest the side of her head against his. Tony pulled her closer to him with the arm he had at her waist, and brought the hand he held in his to his chest.

"Like a _charm,_ " she purred softly in his ear, to which Tony smiled proudly to himself.

They swayed back and forth together for a few tender moments as the first few bars of the melody began.

 _"...It's not the pale moon that excites me. That thrills and delights me. Oh, no. It's just the nearness of you. It's isn't your sweet conversation that brings this sensation. Oh, no. It's just the nearness of you._

 _When you're in my arms.  
And I feel you so close to me._

 _All my wildest dreams come true._

 _I need no soft lights to enchant me. If you'll only grant me the right to hold you ever so tight. And to feel in the night the nearness of you..."_

Pepper smiled, and Tony smiled knowingly back. "Did I pick a good one?" he murmured.

She nodded. "You _did,_ " she replied. "I love this song."

"I _know,_ " he said. "You really _are_ a hopeless romantic, Potts."

" _True._ But _I'm_ not the one who picked the song, _or_ decided we should dance to it, _"_ she retorted, with a smirk.

"Well, I _did_ promise you some entertainment, did I not? Though you topped what I had planned. In _spades,"_ Tony said, turning his gaze to the tv screen to admire their babies once more. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "Little girl looks like you," he said.

Pepper turned her head to look at the screen, too. She furrowed her brow, and squinted, trying to see what he was seeing. "Really? You think so?" she asked.

Tony nodded. "Yep. Same nose, same lips," he replied. "She's gonna be _beautiful._ No doubt about it."

Pepper turned her eyes back to his, and Tony smiled at her lovingly. Then she turned her gaze to the image again. "And _Junior,_ there? See anything familiar with him?" she asked.

This time Tony squinted at the screen, and then recoiled. He looked at her with alarm. "The _mailman?!"_ he chirped, and Pepper promptly smacked his shoulder. He flinched and laughed at her, and Pepper rolled her eyes and gave him a smirk, shaking her head.

"Seriously, Tony! You don't see any similarities to _you_ in that face?" she asked, nodding at the screen.

Tony turned his attention back to it as well, and worked his jaw for a moment before he shrugged and answered. "Yeah, I 'spose. Why? What do _you_ see?" he asked.

"The same shape of the _eyes,_ for one," she said fondly. "But over all? I think we're looking at a virtual Tony- _clone_."

Tony gave her a smirk, and cocked an eyebrow. "Then get ready, Pep. We'll be beating the girls off with a _stick_ ," he quipped.

Pepper chuckled. "Ah, never an opportunity missed to tout those rugged Stark features of yours," she replied.

"Hey, _you_ brought it up. And I'm not touting _anything._ It's just _fact._ We'll have to bump up security once he turns 13, mark my words," he joked back, and Pepper giggled again. "Same thing happened when _I_ was 13. Drove mom and pop _nuts,_ girls calling or ringing the bell every five minutes."

"Somehow, I think they were driven crazy by you by _other_ means," Pepper retorted.

Tony chuckled at her jabbing him, and then gazed at her lovingly for a long moment. "You know, _they_ liked to do this, too. _Dance_ together, I mean," he said, his voice wistful in reminiscence as he pulled Pepper closer to him.

"They did?" she asked, with a soft smile.

Tony nodded. "Yep. Where do you think I got it from? Pop _loved_ pulling Ma in for a little spontaneous rug-cutting."

"It's certainly romantic _,_ I'll give it that," Pepper cooed, wrapping both of her arms around his neck, and smiling at him.

"What can I say? I learned from the best," Tony replied, now wrapping both of his arms around her waist and holding her close. "Pop could be pretty romantic when he wanted to be. Maybe _that's_ part of the reason why they both stuck it out for so long. He made a lot of mistakes, that's no secret. But..." Tony's voice trailed off, as he got lost in thought for a moment, feeling a bit of deja vu from the conversation he and Steve had had about this very subject, before bringing his eyes back to Pepper, who was looking at him expectantly.

" _But?"_ she urged softly.

" _But..._ " Tony began. He teeter-tottered his head from side to side. "But Ma, she...always _forgave_ him. Because deep down, she really loved the guy. You know?" he said, looking into Pepper's eyes intently.

Pepper studied his face, and then slowly began to nod her head as she came to understand the meaning behind his words. "I _do_ ," she murmured.

A long, silence passed between them as they both gazed at each other intently, processing what had been said, until Tony cracked a smile and ran his eyes down Pepper's body to her stomach. "Another kick? Or was that a hiccup?" he asked, with an impish smirk.

Pepper relaxed, and smiled back at him. " _That_ was a kick, I believe. And another party heard from. Looks like Junior's come out of his food coma," she informed him. They both chuckled. Tony pulled Pepper back to him from around the waist. He put her hand in his again and brought it back to his chest, and they began to sway again.

"By the way? I'm _thoroughly_ enjoying your choice of attire at the moment," he said, his eyes scanning her body once more, which was clad in his dress shirt from earlier.

Pepper blushed, and gave him a knowing smirk. "I _thought_ you might," she said. "Though pretty soon it may be more of a necessity than anything. I could easily be squeezing out of the largest size in maternity wear in the near future. I may have no choice but to borrow your clothes."

"Fine by me. If the only two options for you are to wear _this_ or walk around _naked,_ I'm _sure_ we'll make due," he joked, and Pepper laughed at him. "But seriously, though. You know I love it when you borrow my stuff, Pep."

She smiled. "I'm glad. And very grateful, I might add. Especially when the time comes that I can barely fit through the door way."

"You're sexy as hell _now,_ and you'll be even sexier _then,_ " he assured her. "Besides, you could wear a brown paper bag, and still be stunning. End of discussion."

She blushed at his gushing over her, and raised her lips to his to give him an appreciative kiss. But she found, in that moment, that her perpetually hormonal state suddenly ignited her desire and she deepened the kiss. Tony let out a surprised moan in reply, as his eyebrows shot up, and he went along deepening the kiss himself in response. Pepper then curled herself around him, and pulled him further into her embrace.

Tony ran his hands down her body and around to her behind, gripping it tightly with both hands and give her a playful yank further into him. Pepper squeaked in surprise, then giggled and cooed in approval, momentarily breaking the kiss.

"Talking about brown paper bags gets you hot, huh?" Tony joked just before Pepper crashed their lips back together.

After a moment, she broke the kiss and chuckled. "Just shut up and get those pants off, Stark," she ordered breathlessly, her eyes filled with smokey arousal.

"God, I thought you'd _never_ ask. Paper bags do it for _me,_ too," he teased, and Pepper giggled once more before Tony crashed their lips back together and the moment continued heating up between them.

 _ **Hello, there! It's the rare post-chapter author's note this time! LOL! And Uh-oh. I see another fluffy, smutty scene on the horizon! ;)**_

 _ **Before I go, I'd just thought I'd mention- If you wanna know what the song I quoted is, it's "The Nearness of You". And I listened to it on loop while writing this chapter, particularly the version sung by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. SO good. It's very romantic and classic, and just so warm and fuzzy. Perfect for these two, in my opinion, because they are all of those things put together and then some (or, at least WERE. But I digress...) Let me know what you think if you check it out! I'd love to know. :D Thank you as always for your support! It means the world! :D**_


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